I had never stayed in an AZ. State Park before but it was really a relaxing sweet spot to spend the…read morenight on our way to Verde Valley. Cute groupings of mules and/or donkeys meandering on the landscape in groups within the park boundary. I love animals so that is always great to see! It was an uncrowded park and truly very beautiful. The Visitor Center, where you go to register if you are planning on camping, was very educational and the park employees we spoke with were both extremely friendly, helpful and informative. We did the driving tour, where it takes you to the 3 ruins. We got out at each stop to walk the paths and continued listening to the excellent tour on our iPhones. Much to learn about those ruins and the people who came to make it their home. The campground was well kept up, power, water, waste station, and sweet views. There were also bathrooms on site for tent campers. I felt very safe there. I loved the peaceful open space with lots of wind, sun, moon and friendly campers. Highly recommend! Suggestion: Make sure you take & drink plenty of water because it's AZ. and temps can be extremely hot in the summer. PLEASE RESPECT the land you are on there- do not under any circumstances disturb the sites or take any pottery chards. Stay on the walking paths and be respectful of this sacred place. Enjoy your visit!

Wow! First impression, we never felt this intense volume of quiet ever! You don't even hear the…read morewind blowing. The middle of nowhere! I mean really nowhere! Second impression - how could such a sophisticated culture live in such a desolate area? Yes, there is water nearby, but the vastness and isolation of it all is intriguing and astonishing. This vast 4k acre area is a preserve, research and archeological hub, of a more than 1,100 to 900-year-old Hopi civilization, and holds an overwhelming amount of specimens of Pueblo/Hopi debris, pottery and dwellings paraphernalia. At an estimated 4,900 feet above sea level, your 360° panoramic view of the surrounds and plateaus below to the far horizon are nothing but spectacular, miles and miles of nothing but desert. The small yet well-endowed and instructional little museum offers a great insight of what your surrounded by at Homolovi Ruins - and the staff are exceptionally nice folk. It is a terrific starter before going out on your own to encounter southwestern antiquity at its most natural. As a whole, this is a unique, intriguing and instructional excursion into the realm of the past when taken and that will never be forgotten.

If you ever go through Winslow, stop here. It's a lovely spot for the Painted Desert which runs…read morethrough the state. This is one of many spots in the state in which you can get a good view of it.

For a nice view off the 87, watch for the turn off by the stone monument that is missing its sign…read more The county park is abandoned, but the road along the canyon rim is in good shape and allows for views of the colorful canyon.

Greetings everyone! This was an amazing trip! Cant wait to go back! The rocks were truly beautiful,…read moreand the GNGXCVKQP was absolutely exhilarating! It was such a fun trip.

Recommend: Hiking boots, sun screen, backpack for water bottle, and long pants…read more Park and ride shuttle parking lot filled up before 10AM. Go early if you are a morning person. This will help to finish the hike before noon. If you are not a morning person, download the Sedona shuttle app, follow the shuttle into the lot for a parking spot. The trail up to the cathedral rock can be narrow and steep at some sections. Going up is more difficult than coming down based on our experience. The view at the top - spectacular!

What a cool park!…read more We have a lifetime parks pass, so it's been great to be able to explore when we can. We spent about 1/2 day here - drove to many of the overlooks for some very cool views. Followed someone recommendation to hike the Blue Mesa and truly felt like we were walking on the moon. Very cool colors and petrified logs lying around. It's about a mile; so quite a short hike but you are 'up close and personal' with nature. Take the time to walk thru the museum at the Inn (there's also clean restrooms here and an ice cream shop). They've done a great job preserving the original furniture and such. The parking lots at many of the stops had several spots for RV's and could accommodate towing as well. Clean restrooms thru out the park too A tip would be to hike in the morning as the afternoons can get pretty toasty and windy

I am a big fan of national parks and am also a big fan of keeping them fully budgeted and staffed…read more If you have ever been to a national park, you know that they get a ton of visitors from other countries. These foreign folks love our national parks for good reason. Americans should also appreciate them. Now, this is probably not one of the "must do" national parks. It is not a Yosemite or a Yellowstone. There is no camping here and much of the park is entirely experienced by driving around in your car. There are a few hiking spots, some better than others. There are two entrances and there is only one road between them. It is impossible to get lost, although there are a few turnoffs. You drive from one entrance to the other and then you are done. Apparently, some people drive through the park, never leave their car, and spend about an hour in total here. It seems crazy to me to visit a national park in one hour and I do not recommend it. Do one or more of the hikes. Get out and experience a few of the overlooks. The Blue Mesa portion of the park is incredible. That was probably the highlight of the park for me. The color of the hills is just surreal. It is like you landed on Mars. You will, of course, see petrified (or "fossilized") wood here. It is multi-colored beautiful stuff. The visitor center on the north end is much better than the one at the south end. There is a cafe at the north visitor center, better souvenirs, and also the Painted Desert Inn where you can experience a bit of history from about a 100 years ago. Spend some time here whether you are just entering the park or leaving it. I would plan on spending about three or four hours here, especially if you do at least one good hike and stop at most of the overlooks. If you did all the hikes and all the overlooks and bring a lunch (there are no picnic or lunch areas, by the way), you could probably spend the entire day here. Half a day, including one long hike, was fine for us and I feel like we saw all of the highlights. I hate to give any area of land less than 5 stars through no fault of its own but this is not one of the more spectacular national parks in the country. But if you are in the area, it is worth a visit.

I recently hiked a gorgeous trail in 105-degree weather. It was quite challenging, and halfway…read morethrough I wasn't sure if I would reach the top, but I made it! If you decide to go, here are a few tips: - There are some shaded areas where you can stop to catch your breath. - Be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen. - Use a water backpack instead of a bottle; you will need both hands free for certain sections of the trail. - Parking is very limited, so I recommend arriving early. - I do not recommend bringing little kids *Beautiful views made it all worthwhile*

I have a "life list" and Devils Bridge has been on it for a while. Well another checkmark on my…read morelist. The hike is fairly easy but there is an area with a small climb. The bridge itself might be a little intimidating if you have a fear of heights. The experience was as I imagined... spectacular. People line up for pictures and everyone is nice enough to take other people's pictures. Please come and create your own adventure.

Beautiful hike for all fitness levels. Parts of the trails can be steep but you can modify your…read moreexperience to accommodate your level. Well-maintained, spotless, no trash or graffiti (shocking for someone from LA, sadly). Free parking and no admission. Highly recommended.

I've been hiking quite a bit this summer and I saw this trail as an option. I have a pup and she…read moreisn't the most athletic so I needed to find something she could handle. I definitely would call this a beginners trail, it's not super challenging, mostly flat and easy to access. Because of these things, the trail does get crowded I've heard, but we were lucky when we went and it was pretty quiet, though we were there on a weekday morning. As you go along the trail, it is of course beautiful because we are in Northern Arizona, but the unexpected beauty of this giant red rock wall that appears almost out of nowhere is incredible. There are also caves that are super cool and fun to imagine how they came to be. I had a great time on this hike and would absolutely suggest it for the beginner hiker, considering it is only about 3 miles, or those that just want a great time outdoors soaking in the glory of Northern Arizona.

This was completely mind blowing We were a family of three…read moreand we completed it with no issues going to the island trail. To see the canyon on both sides, the sunny side and the shaded side was a big difference. I do recommend taking your time going up the stairs because you will be out of breath. But it is completely worth it for the views The staff was absolutely wonderful. They even have people walking down the trails. Would totally recommend

This is a cool place where you can see structures left by Native people (prehistoric culture…read moreSinagua) although there are also artifacts from the Archaic peoples before them who did not reside permanently in the canyon. There is a visitor center and two trails here. The Rim trail at a pretty even 0.75 miles is great for people who want a stroll that follows the canyon rim (out and back trail). You can see the structures from the rim, but it's even better with binoculars. The Island trail is slightly longer at 1 mi, but a steeper 185 vertical feet into the canyon with a whole bunch of stairs at the beginning, and returns the same way. I guess people get too tired to climb back up since there are numerous signs warning of the steep climb back. The trail begins at the back door exit of the visitor center, which they close at 4 pm (the entire monument closes at 5 pm, so they don't want anyone to start the trail and get locked in). Both trails were great and they had informational signs along the way. I really liked the Island trail since you get up close and personal with the structures. The visitor center was standard - offering a gift shop, bathrooms outside, and information about the history and significance of the area. The ranger staffing the information desk was pretty patient with the group of tourists and determining if they were fit to do the Island trail. It's a totally different vibe from the Grand Canyon, so don't expect huge views.

FYI: If you're planning to go during the government shutdown, you can't drive all the way to the…read moreparking lot -- it's about an 8-mile hike (a lot of it on gravel). But honestly, it's worth every step! Just when you think you've reached the falls... you haven't. Keep going! The road in is pure washboard -- about 13 miles of bump city -- so make sure you have a 4-wheel drive and that nothing inside your car is loose. Fossil Creek is absolutely stunning, and bonus -- no permit needed after October 1st. The other thing says this trail is easy. No, it's not to be careful if you're taking somebody elderly over that doesn't have good mobility because there's some rocks you had a climb and what not also make sure you take plenty of water to drink and a little snack everything you pack in your pack. I would also suggest leaving the house by three 330. No later you don't wanna be hiking in the pitch dark.

I didn't know anything about this place beforehand. If my boss had never been here and my cousin…read morehad never told me about the Permit, I would've made a wasted trip. I wish I knew more before going. I need to know more information about how things work at Fossil Creek. Even after going, though we enjoyed ourselves, I still don't know how it works. There were no signs telling you where you can access trails to get to the creek. You just had to guess. I found a trail at our Homestead parking lot, but it was very steep and a little dangerous. We found a spot okay in the shade but was very small for our party of 6. We worked so hard getting down there that we just made it work. After leaving we went up the road a little way in our vehicle to see what the other spots looked like, but I saw no bridge or easy access from The Bridge parking lot either, and the road was just way too bumpy. I hope my wife's suspension is okay on her Mazda CX-5. The information before going should've told us about the road and what to expect, basically how to plan. It's all a guessing game. I could've asked the Ranger lady more questions, but I didn't know what to ask. My boss made things sound different. Apparently you can't drive people to the waterfall trailhead anymore. You have to walk over 2 miles on a dusty dirt road in over 100 degrees with vehicles driving by kicking up dust. That makes no sense whatsoever. We enjoyed our time at the water. Everything else leading up to it and after it we could've done without. I don't see us coming back unless we have someone with better suspension and/or better knowledge of the area. Thank you.

I like how this trail was so well maintained and had markers making it easy to navigate. The…read morescenery is stunning as your surrounded by towering pines and oaks and there's even water on the trail. It's about 2 miles to get to the Ice Cave which was cool (pun intended) to check out, but it was a little underwhelming. Still awesome to see an entrance of a collapsed lava tube where cool air creates a natural refrigerator even if it didn't have that wow factor. There's pretty wildflowers alongside cactus which is cool to see. We didn't see much wildlife but there are horseback riders that use the trail that you may come across. Overall, it was a good easy to moderate trail good for families and with some really beautiful scenery and I enjoyed the trail.

Don't expect too much for the ice cave. It's a hole in the ground with cold air, which is nice once…read moreyou've sweated in the sun for 2 miles. Use sunscreen, as it's not shaded. There is a geocache in the area if you geocache.

What a hidden gem and not busy at all! A huge site to see…read moreand experience as a family So worth it to spend the time and do the loop Started from the sunset crater side, and went through to the Wupatki ruins Having a national Park pass is definitely a benefit and we paid for the year, but paid for it self in three excursions!!

I spent a few hours here admiring the views and hiking the Lava Flow Trail (the park's signature…read moretrail) and the Lenox Crater Trail. There's no trail that actually goes up Sunset Crater, as it would heavily erode the crater and then it would be no more! There's a placard that shows a photo of the crater before it was closed to visitors - there were so many scars from trails criss-crossing the sides, marring the crater. So, it had to be closed. You can still get your dose of enjoyment by hiking Lenox Crater Trail. Both trails were well marked and enjoyable - the Lava Flow Trail is partially paved. The visitor center is teeming with information about the geology of the area, and how plant succession is shaping the area, even though the crater erupted a thousand years ago. If you're visiting here, I would highly recommend stopping by at Walnut Canyon and Wupatki for an awesome day.